Swinging split bearing for cotton pickers



June 10 1924.

D. S. LOCKE SWINGING SPLIT BEARING FOR COTTON PICKERS l 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Jan.

June 10, 1924. 1,497,571

D. s. LOCKE SWINGING SPLIT BEARING FOR COTTON PICKERS Filed Jan. 15 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 10, 192%.

UNITED STA'lEfi :DOZIER. S. LOCK'E, OF ANDERSON, SOUTH CAROLINA.

SWINGING- SPLIT BEARING FOE COTTON PICKERS.

Application filed January 15, 1924. Serial No. 686,393.

T 0 all in from it may cancer-av Be it known that I, Dozrnn Leona, a citizen of the United States, residing at Anderson. in the county of Anderson and State of South arolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Swinging Split Bearings for Cotton Pickers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of the present invention is to insure an even yarn from the picker to the i loom and to eliminate the fork and bearings of certain cotton pickers and to obviate the use of extra weight, while at the same time maintaining a uniform tension on the drive belt and insuring uniform lap.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent and suggest themselves as the nature of the invention is understood.

While the drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention it is to be under stood that in adapting the same to meet different conditions and requirements, various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of the application:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a cotton picker embodying the invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional detail view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, I

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the pivoted frame carrying the drive belt tensioning roller,

Figure t is an end view of the pivoted frame,

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 3, looking to the left as indicated by the arrows,

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 4,

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of a cap plate, and

Figure 8 is a detail perspective view of an end portion of the pivoted frame.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and designated in the several views of the drawings by like reference characters.

The cotton picker embodies the usual evening roll 1,, drive pulley 2, fixed rollers 3 and 4-, adjustable roller 5, drive belt 6 and regulating mechanism 7 for shifting the drive belt 6 according to the bulk of material fed to the picker or opener.

Tl'ie present invention relates more particularly to the mounting and supporting means for the adjustable roller 5 which maintains a. uniform tension on. the drivebelt 6. The drive pulley 2 being of uniform diameter throughout and the rollers 3, 4 and being of tape-ring form, the necessity of adjustably mounting the roller 5 is obvious. The mounting for the roller 5 con sists of a U-shaped frame 8 pivotally sup-. ported by means of journals 9 which project outwardly from the arms 10 at the ends of the frame. The outer ends of the arms 10 are widened, as indicated most clearly in Figure 8, and are rabbeted along the outer side, as indicated at 11. A cap plate 12 fitted to the widened end of each of the arms 10 is secured in place by means of bolts 13 or analogous fastening means and is provided at one side with a rib 14: to fit the rabbet 11. Matching half-round grooves are formed in each of the cap plates 12 and the widened end of the arm 10 to receive the journal. 15 of the roller 5. The combined weight of the roller 5 and outer ends of the arms 10 is such as to maintain a given tension on the drive belt 6 without necessitating the employment of additional weight, thereby materially simplifying the construction and reducing the number of parts.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cotton picker and in combination with the drive belt for operating the feed mechanism, the usual group of tapering rollers coacting with said drive belt, the roller in the biglit of the latter being adjustable, and a frame for the adjustable roller, said frame being approximately of U-form and pivotally mounted by means of its arms and having the adjustable roller mounted in the outer ends of said arms, said pivoted frame including cap plates which are secured to the outer ends of the arms to confine the journals of the adjustable roller.

2. In a cotton picker and in combination with the drive belt for operating the feed mechanism, the usual group of tapering rollers coacting with said drive belt, the roller in the bight of the latter being adjustable, and a frame for the adjustable roller, said frame being approximately of U-form and pivotally mounted by means of its arms and having the adjustable roller mounted in the outer ends of said arms, said pivoted frame including cap plates which are secured to the outer ends of the arms to confine the journals of the adjustable roller, the out-er ends of the arms being widened and rab-beted along" a side and the capplates having a rim to lit the rabbeted portion. 1

3. In a cotton picker and in combination with the drive belt for operating the feed mechanism, the usual group of tapering ,rollers coacting with said drive belt, the

roller in thebight of the latter being adjustable, and a frame for the adjustable roller, said frame being approximately of U-Eorm and pivotally mounted by means of its arms and having the adjustable roller mounted in the outer ends of said arms, the outer ends of the arms being widened and rabbeted along aside, and cap plates secured to the widened ends of the arms and having a rim to fit the rabbet. the journals of the rollers being confined between the cap plates and the widened ends of the arms.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DOZIER- S. LOCKE. Vitnesses RoBT SULLIVAN, A. S. CATHCART. 

